Hidden Gem of San Diego
We Have the Feature to Prove It
There's a particular kind of magic in finding a place that feels like it was made just for you — tucked away, a little hard to find, and somehow exactly what you didn't know you needed. That's the feeling San Diego Voyager captured when they featured Avocado Bliss in their Hidden Gems series, and it's the same feeling we hope every guest walks away with.
We sat down with SD Voyager to talk about how Avocado Bliss came to be, and reading it back, we were reminded of just how far this place has come.
From hidden gem to home base
Founder CJ Andrews didn't set out to build a farm. Her search for the right place spanned six years and took her from the mountains of Colorado to the shores of Baja before she landed in Valley Center — where she found a sprawling property with a neglected avocado orchard, buried under wild, towering weeds. Where most people would have seen a mess, CJ saw a hidden gem of her own: a property brimming with potential, waiting for someone to notice it.
What followed was years of hands-on work — clearing the land, restoring the soil, and slowly building a regenerative farm from what had been forgotten. Today, that same orchard produces avocados, citrus, berries, and herbs enjoyed by every guest who stays with us, and the property has grown into a place built for rest, creativity, and connection with the land.
Why "hidden gem" fits
San Diego is full of well-known escapes — the coastline, the breweries, the resorts everyone already knows about. Avocado Bliss is something different: a working regenerative farm tucked into the hills of Valley Center, just far enough from the city to feel like a different world, and close enough to reach in under an hour. It's the kind of place people tend to stumble onto through a friend's recommendation, a podcast, or — we hope — an article like this one, rather than a billboard.
That's exactly what makes it feel special. You don't pass by Avocado Bliss on your way to somewhere else. You come here on purpose, and what you find is a farm that's spent years becoming exactly what it was meant to be.
Read the full feature
We're grateful to San Diego Voyager for taking the time to tell this story, and we'd love for you to read the whole thing — it goes deeper into CJ's journey, the philosophy behind the retreat, and the lessons learned along the way.
Read the full Hidden Gems feature on San Diego Voyager →
Come find it for yourself
The best way to understand why people call Avocado Bliss a hidden gem of San Diego is to experience it. Whether you're looking for a creative residency, a weekend reset, or a place to bring your team, we'd love to welcome you to the farm.